Floor-jack



(No Model.)

"W. B. BRADLEY.

FLOOR JACK.

No. 364,794. PatentedJune 14, 1887.

ATTORNEYS.

UN TED STATES PATENT Grrrcn.

WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, or nosoon, New roux.

FLOOR-JACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 364,794, dated June 14,1887.

Application filed January H, 1887. Serial No. 224,853. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern) Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, ofRoscoe, in the county of Sullivan and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Floor-Jacks, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in floor-jacks, and has for itsobject to provide a jack simple in construction, which may be quicklyand positively operated in laying floors, and wherein the device may beused in the capacity of an ordinary lifting or pressure jack, if founddesirable.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of thevarious parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apartofthis specificatiomin which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of my device, partly sectional, in workingposition; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a centralvertical section through line am of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a perspective viewof an extension side used in connection with my device. Fig. 5 is adetail sectional view of the operating lever,

. showing the wedge-shaped lugs.

In carrying myinvention into effect, Arepresents a floor-beam about aninch and a half or two inches thick, and a a piece of flooring jacked inposition.

In the construction of the device I employ two metallic sides, B B,provided with a central vertical slot, 1), near their-semicircular topI), the lower portion of said sides being made to terminate in a narrowvertical downward projection, G, the inner facesof which are preferablycurved outward and toward their extremities and provided with two ormore sharp embossed ribs, 0, as shown in Fig. 1.

Upon the upper inner surface of each side piece, B B, a segmentalcam-surface, D, is formed flush with the upper edges and sidesthereof,-overhanging and partially encircling the verticalrslots b, asillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the entire upper semicircular surface ofthe side piece, B, being provided with transverse rearwardly-inclinedteeth, (I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A box, IE, having open ends andtop, and provided with side pieces, e, having a central semicircularapertu red projection,

e, is hinged at the bottom upon each side at' sidepieces, B B.

To one side of the box E, near the bottom and at the forward end, aspring, F, is attached, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) having one end,f, bentat right angles inward over thefront edge of the box, which spring isoperated laterally by a cranked pin, G, held to turn behind and againstsaid springin the side of the aforesaid box E, as illustrated in Figs. 1and 2,

the movement being effected by the engagement of the cranked portion ofthe pin with the inner side of the spring. A horizontal slide-bar, H, isentered the box E to slide therein upon the bottom, the said bar beingof a greater length than said box, and provided upon its upper face froma point near the .center to its outer end with an integral racksurface,71, and upon its edge opposite'the an gular end f of the spring F with aseries of rearwardly-inclined teeth, h, extending from a point near thefront a distance to the rear, the said teeth being adapted forengagement by the aforesaid spring to retain the slidebar H in a givenor fixed position. The forward end, h of the slide-bar H is enlarged andslotted to receive a block, G, which block is held in position by aset-screw passing through said enlarged end to a contact with saidblock. The block G is preferably the thickness of the flooring, and isprovided with a longitudinal groove, in its outer edge,

adapted to receive the tongue of the floor- -strip a to be jacked intoposition.

A sloping recess, 9, is cut centrally the edge of theblock, partiallythrough the same, to enable the operator to drive a holding-nail throughthe edge of the said floor-strip. A lever, K, is pivoted in theaperturcsin the sides of the block F, the

pin k, whereby the said lever is journaled, being made to projectthrough into the slots 1) of the side pieces, B B. The lower end of thelever K is made circular, and provided with a series of teeth, adaptedto mesh with the rack-surface h of the slide-bar H to propel the samebackward or forward in the box E.

To each side of the lever K wedge-shape lugs L are secured in line withthe semicircular top of the sides B B" when the said lever is in avertical position, the purpose of the said lugs being to engage thefaces of the cam projections D of the side pieces, B B,when the deviceis placed straddling the floor-beam, as shown in Fig. 1, and force theteeth or ribs of the jaws G into the beam as the slide-bar H is carriedforward, and also to limit the backward and forward throw of the leverby the engagement of the sides of the wedgelngs with the sides of thebox in the first instance and the engagement of the end of said lugswith the forward side of the box E in the latter instance. The upperportion of the lever K is beveled off, as shown in Fig. 1, and a woodenhandle, M, correspondingly beveled and provided with straps m is held inrigid yet detachable connection with said lever by a set-screw, m. Asleeve, M, is provided the upper portion of the handle, adapted to begrasped by the hand of the operator, the movement of which sleeve iscontrolled by a spiral, N, havingone end attached to said handle and theother to the bottom edge of the sleeve. A pawl, N, is pivoted to theupper face of the lever K, above the circular lower end, toprojectoutward oy er the teeth (I in the side piece, 13, and a chain, n,is united to the free endof said pawl, the other end thereof beingconnected to the sleeve M. The chain is of such length as that when thesleeve is in its normal position the pawl N will be elevated above theteeth d. \Vhen, however, the said sleeve is turned against the spring,the said pawl will be allowed to engage the said teeth (Z and hold theslide-bar H in the position to which it is carried by the lever K,asshown in Fig. 2. The side pieces, B B, are held together by a spiralspring, 0, secured thereto by staple or otherwise, and extending fromone side piece to the other, as also shown in Fig. 2.

In operation, the device is placed straddle a floor-beam and the block Gplaced in registry with the strip of flooring a to belaid. The handle isnow grasped and carried forward. The wedge-shaped lugs upon the lever K,engaging the cam projection D of the side pieces, force the tops thereofoutward and the jaws O inward to a firm grip upon the beam. Meanwhilethe teeth upon the said lever carry the slide-bar H forward by theengagement of its racked surface until the board a is firmly jointedagainst its fellow. The bar H is now held in this position by throwingthe springarms f in engagement with the teeth 71/ upon the edge of saidslide-bar, or by turning the sleeve upon the handle and permitting pawlN to engage the teeth (1 upon the side piece, B. A nail may now bedriven through the tongue of the board a at the central recessed portionof the block G. Upon the pawl N or spring F being released the slide-baris drawn back, the grip of the device upon the beam loosened, and thesaid device may then be entered in similar manner upon the next beam,and so 011 indefinitely until the floor is laid. \Vhen the floor-beamsare more than two inches thick, I remove the side piece, B, and use inlieu thereof the extension-piece shown in Fig. 4, wherein a rearextension, W, is formed in horizontal alignment with the hinges of theside, the said projection being provided with a right-angulardownwardlyprojecting arm, 10, fitted with a sctscrew, S, instead of thejaw 0 upon the side piece taken off, the object of the set'screw beingto adjust the said auxiliary side piece to beams exceeding two inchesagainst the face of said arm 10.

My device may be used as ajaclr for lifting purposes by clamping it atthe top of a beam and resting the other end of said beam upon the flooror ground. In fact, it is capable of use wherever a jack is needed.

I sometimes detach the box E from the side clamps and secure the box toa work-bench by screws or otherwise, and use the jack for mortising.Inthat eventa mortising-chisel is held in the enlarged end h of thesliding bar II. By moving the lever K back and forth a motion may beaccurately made in little time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In ajack, the combination, with springconnected side pieces, B B,hinged to a central box, E, and provided with ribbed jaws C, of a bar,H, adapted to slide in said box, and provided with an enlarged slottedend, h", a grooved and recessed block detachabl y held in said enlargedend, and a toothed lever, K, adapted to operate said sliding bar,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a jack, the combination, with the box E, the toothed lever K,having wedge-shaped projections L and pivoted in said box, and therack-faced sliding bar II, of the side pieces, B B, having an upperinner cam projection, D, and hinged to said box, and means for retaining the jack stationary when the lever K is operated, substantially asshown and described.

3. I11 a jack, the combination, with the box E, the side pieces, B B,hinged thereto, connected by a spring, 0, and each provided with anupper inner and central cam projection, D, and teeth (Z upon the uppercentral surface of the side piece, B, of a sliding rack-faced bar, H,the toothed lever K, having wedge-shaped side projections, L, and apawl, N, pivoted to its upper surface, a lever-handle, M, provided witha springactuated sleeve, M, connected by a chain with said pawl,substantially as shown and described. a

4. In a jack, the combination, with the box E, the side pieces, 13 B,hinged thereto, connected by a spiral spring and provided with 'innercentral cam projections, D, an angular spring, F, attached to said box,and a crankpin, G, adapted to operate said spring, of a slidingrack-faced bar, H, provided with teeth hand adapted to carry a block, G,and a toothed lever, K,provided with wedge-shaped side pro- IO jections,L, adapted to operate said slide-bar,

substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose herein setforth.

5. The combination, with the box E, the

spring-united side pieces, B B, hinged to said box, and provided with anupper and inner central cam-face, D, and lower ribbed jaws, O,

a toothed lever, K, journaled in said box, prov vided with a handle, M,and means for retaining said lever in a fixed position, of a rackfacedsliding bar, H, having an enlarged slot- WILLIAM E. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

SQUIRE L. DECKER, EMMA J. GREEN.

